waldentwo

I can think of numerous times in the past where I've smelled a certain type of perfume or cologne and immediately thought of a specific person or relationship from my life. I'm sure many of you can say the same. This is one of many great, real-life examples of classical conditioning!  Classical conditioning is a type of unconscious or automatic learning that involves placing a neutral stimulus before a naturally occurring reflex. ( https://www.verywellmind.com/classical-conditioning-2794859 ). My high school boyfriend always wore the same cologne, which naturally led to me associating that scent with my experiences and emotions during that relationship. After we broke up, classical conditioning took place without me even realizing. Here's how it happened: Unconditioned Stimulus:  my boyfriend and the time we spent together (this naturally caused feelings of love, comfort, excitement, etc.) Unconditioned Response (UR):  the emotional reactions (love, joy, butterflies, etc....

Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, nothing changes, so you just stop trying altogether? If so, you have experienced learned helplessness. Learned helplessness occurs when a person who has experienced repeated challenges comes to believe that they have no control over their situation, which then leads to them accepting their fate and giving up trying to make changes. ( https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-learned-helplessness-2795326 ). The concept of learned helplessness is highly associated with animals, but it can also apply to human behavior. Personally, I have experienced it many times throughout my life. Starting about four years ago, I began to have excruciating pain in my shins whenever I would run. At first, I thought it was shin splints and would just let myself rest for weeks at a time. But whenever I tried to get back to running, the pain would return almost immediately. Over the course of the past four years, I went to six different doctors trying to get a diagn...

Since graduating high school, my time playing organized sports has come to an end and my focus has shifted to competing in triathlons. Over the past two years, I've watched my mom train for (and absolutely kill) two Ironman races, which has been a powerful example of social learning in my own life.  Albert Bandura developed social learning theory, which suggests that people learn by observing others ( https://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html ).  If you're unfamiliar, an Ironman is a race consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run. It takes several months to get ready for and requires a lot of discipline. By observing my mom's training sessions, recovery routines, and how she was able to balance training, work, and her personal life, I was able to gain a lot of insight into what it takes to prepare for such a big race. I paid close attention to her habits, from things like nutrition and sleep to how she was able to push through the mental blocks t...